Garment



Feb. 22, 1949.

T. B. M LAUGHLIN GARMENT Filed April 9, 1947 A ORNEY Patented Feb. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT Therese B. McLaughlin, Bronx, N. Y.

Application April 9, 194'7, Serial No. 740,347

(on. 2-224 A 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to undergarments for women and more particularly to a pantie and has for an object to provide a garment of the above type having novel and improved characteristics.

Another object is to provide a garment of the above type in which the crotch and seat portions are free from scams or hems.

Another object is to provide a garment of the above type in which each leg portion is formed from a single piece of material which is folded to displace the lower hem above the bottom of the garment leg and above the crotch.

Another object is to provide a garment of the above type in which the lower part of the leg is devoid of hems or stitches and is soft and flexible.

Another object is to produce a garment of the above type which is neat and pleasing in appearance.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

Although the novel features which are characteristic of this invention are pointed out more particularly in the claim, the nature of the invention will be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which a specific embodiment thereof has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a completed pantie embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of an unfolded leg portion in pattern;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the leg pattern as folded about the bottom of the leg; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the leg pattern as folded to form the completed leg, but showing the leg section wrong side out before stitching.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the garment is shown as comprising a pair of leg pieces I and l which are joined by central vertical front and back seams l2 and as provided at the top with a band M of elastic material of the usual type for gathering the material and fitting the garment to the wearer. The construction of each leg is best shown by referring to the pattern of Figs. 2 to 4 from which each of the legs is made.

In Fig. 2 the pattern comprises a back leg panel IS, a front leg panel IE to be folded about a vertical fold line I! which constitutes the inside of the leg, and a bottom panel I3 to be folded about a horizontal fold line H! which constitutes the bottom of the leg. The panels |5 and I6 have outer edges and 2| which are to be joined to form the outer side seam 22 of the garment, and inner edges 23 and 24, which are to be joined to the similar edges of the other leg piece to form front and back seams l2. The inner edges 23 and 24 are connected by a curved crotch line 25.

The bottom panel I8 is formed with curved lower edges 26 and 21 extending from narrow strips 28 and 29 at the side edges 20 and 2| of the leg to wide points 30 and 3| which are adapted to lie above the crotch line 25 when the panel I8 is folded about the line I9. Between the points 30 and 3| the panel I8 is cut away along a curved line 32 to conform to the crotch line 25.

The lower edges 28, 29 and 32 of the panel [8 are hemmed in the usual manner, after which the panel I8 is folded over against the panels I5 and I6 about the fold line H! as indicated in Fig. 3. It will be noted that as thus folded the points 30 and 3| extend well above the crotch line 25 and that the lower edges 26, 21 and 32 of the panel I8 of Fig. 2 are well above the bottom of the leg of the finished garment. The point 30 of the back panel extends above the point 3| of the front panel so that the hem line 23 of the back panel will lie well above the seat of the garment. The

panel l8 may be attached to the panels l5 and I6 by sewing along the hem line 26, 21 and 32.

The garment is next folded about the vertical line I! as shown in Fig. 4 and the side edges 20 and 2| of the front and back panels may be aligned and joined to form the side seams 22.

A second leg which is made in a similar manner is then joined to the corresponding edges 23, 24 and 25 by the seams |2 which extend along the front and back panels from the top of the garment to the crotch as shown in Fig. 1. The top edge may then be finished by the usual hem and the elastic band inserted therein.

It will be noted that in this garment there are no seams or hems on the bottom of the leg and that the hem lines 26 and 21 are displaced above the bottom of the leg on the front and back of the garment respectively. These hem lines are positioned where there is the least liability of chafing and inasmuch as there is nohem line or stitch line along the bottom IQ of the leg this portion of the garment remains soft and flexible.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein as will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art. The invention is only to be restricted in accordance with the scope of the following claim.

a double, thickness around the lower-part; of the.

leg panels, said bottom panel having a hem along its free edge and extending from narrow strips at the outside edges of the leg panels to points whichv lie well above the crotch line at said inside edges; the free edge of said bottom panel, between-said 15 points, conforming to the crotch line of'the leg panel, said bottom panel being secured to the front and back panels along said hem, whereby 4 the bottom edge of each leg panel is devoid of hems or stitches, the outside edges of the front and back panels of each leg section being stitched together to form the outer leg seams and the respective inside edges of the leg panels of each section being stitched to the corresponding edges of the leg panels of the other section to form front and back seams.

B- MQ -AUGH REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file: of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Madden et al. July 6, 1943 Number 

